POCATELLO, Idaho - Idaho State specialist Gabe Russo has been named a finalist for the 2025 FCS Punter of the Year Award as announced by the August Sports Council.
Russo finished the 2025 season with 38 Punts for 1762 Yards, finishing with a Net Punting average of 42.95 yards, #1 all-time in Idaho State Football History.
Russo had a 74-yard long season-high against Southern Utah on August 30.
In 2025, Russo had 17 punts inside the 20, 44.7 percent of his attempts. Russo also tacked on 5 touchbacks, 13 fair catches and the Bengal special teams only allowed 30 return yards on 9 attempts.
About the Award
The Augusta Sports Council, also home to the Ray Guy Award (awarded to the best collegiate punter in the FBS), created the FCS Punter of the Year Award in 2019 to honor the best collegiate punter in the FCS. Among the statistics used to identify the winner are net punting average, percentage of punts inside the 20-yard line, and percentage of punts not returned, with particular emphasis placed on net punting average. The winner must display team leadership, self-discipline, and have a positive impact on the team's success.
About the Augusta Sports Council
The Augusta Sports Council (ASC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to marketing the Augusta area as a destination for amateur sporting events. The ASC attracts, creates, and supports dozens of sporting events and activities each year, generating positive economic impact and enhancing the quality of life for the residents of Augusta's River Region. Visit www.augustasportscouncil.org to learn more.
The candidates were evaluated by the FCS Punter of the Year Award committee on their overall statistics and contribution to the team. Emphasis is placed on net punting average, percentage of punts inside the 20-yard line, and percentage of punts not returned. The winner must display team leadership, self-discipline and have a positive impact of the team's success.
2025 FCS Punter of the Year Award Semifinalists
Adam Watford, North Alabama
Ben Shrewsbury, Virginia Military Institute
Brady Clark, Princeton
Elliot Huether, St. Thomas
Gabriel Russo, Idaho State
James Platte, The Citadel
John McConnell, Mercer
Max Pelham, South Dakota State
Ryan Marks, Utah Tech
Thomas O'Hara, Murray State
A national voting body of FBS sports information directors, conference representatives, and sports writers will determine the winner from the 10 semifinalists. Voting for the winner will open on December 4 and close on December 14 at noon ET. The winner of the 2025 FCS Punter of the Year Award will be revealed on Monday, December 15.
